


First Christmas

by Cali85



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 08:49:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8838196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cali85/pseuds/Cali85
Summary: Carol is looking for the perfect gift for her perfect Therese.





	1. The Perfect Gift

It was the 19th December, 6 days until Christmas, their first Christmas as a couple. Carol dropped Therese off at work and made her way back towards Madison Avenue. It was a Saturday, Carol’s day off and she was determined that no matter what, she was going to find the perfect gift for Therese. She had been wracking her brains all month but couldn’t find anything that felt right.

She had already bought Therese a few small things, pyjama’s, a new bath robe, perfume, chocolate etc but she wanted something else, something Therese would never buy for herself but was so perfectly Therese. She just couldn’t think of anything that perfect.

Time was marching on now and with only 5 shopping days left it was now or never. With the exception of Sunday, she was working up until the 23rd and there was no way she was going shopping on Christmas Eve. Besides there was far too much to do on Christmas Eve this year.

They were having friends around to their apartment for Christmas Dinner. As if that wasn’t wonderful enough they were also going to have Rindy. Harge wasn’t happy about it but Rindy had protested that she wanted to be with Mommy and Therese this year. Harge has many faults but he’s a wonderful father and couldn’t say no to her. He made many attempts to bribe the little girl of course but she stayed determined. His parents were furious and demanded he put a stop to it but to his credit he stayed strong.

So it was now or never to find the perfect gift for her perfect Therese. But just what was that. Carol went through everything she knew about Therese with forensic analysis to see if she could think of the ultimate surprise.

The obvious thing was photography. She had previously thought of a new camera but as she had browsed around the store she thought Therese’s camera is only a year old and she would know what she needed more than Carol would. She didn’t have a clue what a good camera was or what accessory would enhance Therese’s photo’s. She gave up on that one quickly.

As she pulled into her parking space she sat and pondered for a moment. Maybe not a camera but what about a print from one of Therese’s favourite photographers. She’d love that.

She finally had a plan. She headed out to a gallery nearby. As she looked around she saw several beautiful pieces Therese would like. But it didn’t feel right. _This isn’t it_ she proclaimed.

She walked around the streets looking in store windows trying to get some inspiration. _Tiffany’s. Maybe some jewellery. I could get something engraved or we could get matching bracelets or rings even._ The thought appealed to her. She walked in and began looking around. There were a number of men in the store, far more than you would usually see at any other time of the year. _Jewellery is the go to gift for a woman I suppose_ she thought to herself. This dampened her spirits a little. As she looked around she saw several pieces that would look wonderful on Therese. _It’s our anniversary soon_ she thought. _I can get her jewellery for that. It’s not right for now_.

She went back out into the bustling street again. She went past an old bookshop. _A Christmas Carol_. Therese loved the book, sister Alicia had read it to her as a child, it was her favourite story. She had begun reading it to Rindy during her last visit. She had finished the ghost of Christmas present and had promised to finish reading the rest of the book on Christmas Eve.

Carol smiled as she thought of them all cuddled up on the sofa in their pyjamas on a Saturday night with hot chocolate reading to Rindy who was spell bound. Therese even did different voices and sound effects. It was so adorable and filled her heart. Carol had even tried to get tickets to a matinée performance so they could take Rindy but she’d left it too late and they were sold out. _Maybe a first edition of a Christmas Carol._ She stood pondering it for a few minutes. It was certainly a beautiful gift and Therese would love it. But that wasn’t it either. She put it on the maybe pile.

 _I need a coffee_ she thought to herself and went into the nearest little café she could find. She sat at a table next to the window with the coffee and a muffin and continued to rack her brain whilst watching the people rushing up and down the street. _Why am I torturing myself with this, all the gifts I’ve thought of Therese would love. Why aren’t they good enough._

She didn’t have to ask that question, she knew the answer: because Therese had never had a real Christmas before and she wanted it to be perfect for her. Therese had told her of her Christmas’s at the school her mother had abandoned her in. The nuns tried to make it as special as possible of coarse but it was bleak. She never had any toys to speak of, nothing to call her own really either. It was spent dreaming about all the happy people opening their presents on Christmas morning, having big family get-togethers, eating turkey with all the trimmings and singing songs around the piano in front of a large fireplace just as they did in the books she read. It was odd, as these images should have depressed her, they should have brought home the stark reality of the difference between their lives and hers but they didn’t. Instead they filled her with joy and indeed with hope. Carol knew a big family Christmas was one thing Therese had always dreamed of and she was determined to make Therese’s dreams come true.

There was another reason this meant so much: Carol had never had a real Christmas before either. It was always full of obligation. She liked the season but hated the day itself. All those years spent at Harge’s parents. The fake smiles and petty conversations. It was a fine balancing act. She would drink to forget how much she hated them but not so much that she’d end up telling them that. As a child it was just as rigid and fake. She had lots of presents of course and they did spend it with family but there was always an air of uneasiness. It wasn’t until she got married that she realised her parents were just like her, going through the motions, pretending to be happy whilst secretly being desperate for the damned season to be over with.

This year was different. It would be the first Christmas where she got to do things her way. The first where she spent it with the people she wanted to be with, the people she loved. Most of all it would be the first with her real family: Therese and Rindy and everything had to be perfect.

 _Who is Therese?_ She thought trying to get the ideas flowing. She thought back to when they first met at Frankenburgs. She thought of Therese’s dopey Santa hat which made her look so adorable. She thought about the gloves and the dinner. She went over every conversation they’d had in those first few days. She started making a list in her head of the things Therese liked.

As she thought she continued staring aimlessly out of the window. There were streams of people going past in all directions. The cars were almost at a standstill, crawling along inch by inch. Two women came into the café and threw their bags down on the booth across from her. They were clearly exhausted from all their last minute shopping. They looked like they could do with something stronger than a coffee. Carol glanced at one of the bags. Her eyes lit up. That’s it, why didn’t I think of it. She threw on her coat, grabbed her purse and threw some change down on the table for the waiter and ran out the door. She was beaming. She must have looked crazy to all the people who saw her smiling to herself but she didn’t notice. She was too thrilled; she’d finally found the perfect gift.

* * *

 

‘Hello’

‘Hello Abby, it’s Carol’

‘Hi I called you earlier. Where have you been?’

‘I’ve found it. The perfect gift for Therese’

‘What is it?’

‘I’d rather show you. I want to see your reaction’ she laughed ‘I need to store it at yours, you know what Therese is like. She’s worse than Rindy’

‘Ok come over when you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere this afternoon’

When she pulled up outside Abby’s house Abby came out to the car to give her a hand.

‘Well. Are you going to show me?’

Carol opened up the trunk. Abby threw her head back with laughter. It was tinged with confusion. ‘I’m clearly missing something’

Carol laughed ‘Trust me she’s going to love it’


	2. The Perfect Gift Revealed

Christmas Eve had been a blur for Carol. She was up before dawn as there was so much to do. She had the grocery store to go to, the butcher’s, baker’s, a number of store’s to pick up last minute gifts and drop of presents. Luckily Abby had volunteered to bring the presents stored at her house and also to pick up Rindy from Harge’s house. Therese had been nightshift on the 23rd so everything was left up to Carol. Despite Therese’s instance on wanting to help she was ordered to go to bed for a few hours. She was too tired to argue.

By the time Abby arrived with Rindy at 3pm Carol had everything in order. Rindy burst through the door ‘Mommy’ she yelled as she flung her arms open and ran towards Carol. Carol was so delighted. Ever since Harge had agreed to let Rindy stay with them for a few days over Christmas, Carol had this fear that he would change his mind or even worse Rindy would be persuaded to change hers. As she wrapped her arms around Rindy she squeezed her tight as if trying to make sure the little girl was really here and a sense of relief washed over her.

‘Where’s Therese’ she asked.

‘I’m here’ Therese called out from the kitchen. The little girl went racing through to greet her and tell her all about the Nativity play she was in at school where she played a sheep. Carol watched them for a few moments. Therese was so good with her and Rindy adored Therese. Her eyes almost welled up seeing her two favourite girls together. As she turned back round she observed Abby looking at her with a very serious expression. She motioned to Carol to come out into the hall.

‘You should see what Daddy’s bought’ Abby exclaimed

‘Oh god what’s he done?’

‘I think he’s bought over a toy store; I couldn’t fit it all in my car so he’s having it delivered’

Carol clenched her teeth. She knew he would go over the top. It was always like this. If she bought Rindy a shirt he would buy an outfit. If she bought a doll he would by a 3 doll’s and every accessory, he could find. Buying love was all he knew and he revelled in out-doing Carol. Carol was annoyed but she was not about to let this spoil their Christmas. Truth be told she had gone slightly overboard as well. Part of this was down to her guilt at not seeing Rindy as often as she wanted to but part of it was also out of taking Therese to toy store’s. She was a big child herself. Her eyes seemed to light up as she picked things up and her childlike innocence was so adorable Carol couldn’t say no. Carol knew she hadn’t really had toys as a child so she wasn’t sure if she were buying them for Rindy or Therese.

Harge’s presents had arrived about an hour later. Though she wanted to confront Harge on his pathetic attempts to buy their daughters favour, she knew she couldn’t risk any animosity with him. He could stop her visits anytime he pleased so she kept her composure and tried not to let the sight of the mountain of presents get to her. ‘Rindy won’t be a child forever’ she thought to herself ‘I’ll have the last laugh’.

Later that night they made hot chocolate and sat on the couch as Therese finished reading a Christmas Carol. By the time she was done Rindy was ready for bed so they got out the cookies, milk and carrot for Santa Claus’s arrival and put Rindy to bed.

Once they finished wrapping the rest of Rindy’s presents and putting Harge’s ones out they were ready for bed themselves.

 

* * *

 

‘Mommy, Therese, wake up, Santa’s been’. They woke to the excited cries of a 6 year old, shaking them awake and jumping on the bed. ‘Come on, wake up Mommy’. ‘Ok sweet pea, just give us a minute to open our eyes’. They didn’t get a minute. They were pulled out of bed and along the hall to Livingroom.

They sat watching Rindy tear excitedly through her presents for a few minutes, more trying to wake up than anything else. ‘Shall we start opening ours’ Therese asked with a beaming smile. ‘Of course’ Carol replied ‘but I want you to open this one first’ At that she got up and went down the hall returning moments later with a very large rectangular present. ‘What’s this?’

‘Open it’ Carol replied with a mischievous grin.

‘Oh my god’ she said laughing as she tore away the wrapping paper. She threw her arms around Carol ‘This is the best present ever. It’s the only thing I’ve ever really wanted’, ‘I love you’ she exclaimed quietly. Rindy had stopped tearing her way through her presents to see what Therese had. ‘Wow Mommy look, Santa bought Therese a Trainset’


End file.
